Sweet Dreams
by Chidori-San
Summary: After the team is stuck at base during a strong spiritual attack, they end up sleeping together on the floor, resulting in some interesting situations. (Characters kind of OOC! Just a random one-shot, sorry the summary sucks.)


It was nearly one in the morning, and the ghost hunters at Shibuya Psychic Research were finally turning into bed after a night full of activity ceased suddenly. The only problem was that they weren't able to make it to their rooms, and were staying at their home base for the night.

Luckily the dressing rooms at Miyuzuki Theatre are large, or it could be uncomfortable for our weary mediums. Twenty-six year old ex-Buddhist monk, Housho Takigawa and twenty year old Australian priest John Brown had since made the daring journey through the spiritual infested halls to gather as many futons as they could carry. Twenty five year old shrine maiden Ayako Matsuzaki was close behind carrying bedding. It had been a tough journey, their earlier exorcisms had riled up the spirit. Every footstep was a call for danger.

Now they were back at base, and the remaining team members scurried to put together beds. Twenty seven year old Koujo Lin, or Lin for short, had left the building with their friend and part-time office worker, Osamu Yasuhara. Now it was only the eighteen cold, narcissistic boss Oliver Davis, or Naru the Narcissist, seventeen year old bubbly investigator Mai Taniyama, and seventeen year old snooty medium, Masako Hara. This trio, plus the other three made the tired, scraggly group.

"All set," Mai said wearily, passing a hand over her fevered forehead. Earlier she had been attacked by the spirit, and was still feeling upset and woozy. Ayako nodded and groaned, stretching her back. They had been awake all night, stuck at base. At first they had held hope that they could escape, but not even Monk's powerful chants led them through, and after Masako's safety was compromised they returned, feeling down.

"Very well, Takigawa-san and I will take the edge futons to keep watch over the group," Naru said calmly. Out of all of them he was least affected by the news of being stuck at base overnight, since he practically lived there during investigations.

"I will sleep next to Naru," Masako piped up quietly, her kimono sleeve hiding her clever smirk. There were six futons on the floor, and if Naru had an edge one, she could have him all to herself! Unfortunately he was quick to shoot the idea down.

"Since your previous encounter with the spirit, I would feel better if you stayed in the center, where you are safer," Naru interjected. Masako pouted before looking away quickly. Monk and Ayako chuckled at the selfish girl. When would she realize it was Mai who would get Naru? Her kind attitude and loud personality easily meshed with Naru's cold and silent one. A Masako and Naru pairing would result in a lot of brutal fights.

"I will have Mai next to me, then Brown-san, Hara-san will be next to John, Matsuzaki-san will be on the second to last one and Takigawa-san on the end. That is the final sleeping arrangements," Naru said firmly. Masako's frown darkened, but she covered it with her kimono sleeve and nodded her assent, as did John, as the kindly priest gladly obeyed orders.

"What? No, I am NOT sleeping next to this idiot," Ayako huffed. Monk grumbled and crossed his arms childishly, pouting at the opposite wall. Anyone could tell neither of them was happy sleeping next to each other. Mai clucked and shook her head. _Those baka adults, they'll never admit they're secretly glad to be in each other's company, _she thought kindly. Her older friends were almost like her parents, and she looked up to them. They often thought of her as their daughter, so it was a happy relationship. It was like the family Mai never had.

Naru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Didn't I say it was final?" he demanded. He was tired as is, being stuck at base with these idiots didn't help matters. Finally the duo relented, and shot each other one last murderous glance before turning their attention fully to Naru.

"I hope your charms will hold off the spirit until we can perform a proper exorcism," Naru said bluntly to Ayako. Ayako frowned at the teenager.

"You say that like you have no faith in me." His pointed stare was answer enough. With a heavy sigh she nodded and ran a hand through her now messy auburn hair.

"Alright, time to go to bed kiddo, you've taken the worst out of all of us," she said tiredly, placing a motherly hand on Mai's shoulder. Mai frowned, but didn't resist. Ayako was right; she was tired and hurt all over. There would be bruises in the morning, and there were claw marks on her back. S

Masako and Mai settled into bed as her friends watched over them. Masako was the first asleep, snoring lightly. Mai stifled a giggle, it was kind of funny hearing the prim, always kimono clad Masako snoring. Luckily Ayako had snagged a loose night gown from the dressing room before they had to run back to base, and had offered it to Mai so her clothes, which consisted of a torn blue hoodie, bloody white tank top and dark capris, wouldn't irritate her injuries, since they were stuck in what they were wearing that day. She had refused, and offered Masako the night gown, since the kimono must be uncomfortable to sleep in. She had accepted without complaint.

Finally Mai dozed off, and the remaining people awake conversed quietly about the best way to go about things tomorrow before they too climbed into bed. Soon all six people were fast asleep, their deep breaths mingling with the cool night air. Deep in the recesses of the theatre, blood shot eyes watched with a sort of contentment, surprising for their violent nature.

Lin started driving back to base at around 1:40 in the morning. He had hurried back after making sure all the actors and Yasu were home safely. After the annoying teen had finally stopped talking and bid Lin goodnight, the man was ready to strangle him. He dashed across town, probably breaking several speed limits. Who knows what kind of trouble his young charge was getting into?

Meanwhile Naru lay wide awake, unable to sleep. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep, he just wasn't sure if he could trust his friends. It was highly irrational, but the thought that the ghost could possess one of his team members and attack either him or Mai set him on edge. He was distracted by a soft whimper, and he glanced down at the sleeping young girl next to him. Mai had a troubled expression on her face, and her fists clutched at the pillow.

_She's having a dream now? If she wakes up scared… _Naru could imagine it. Mai would let out an ear piercing screech as she was finally released from her nightmares, something she'd been having since she started this case. Ayako and Monk would jolt awake, and probably bump into each other. They would start bickering loudly, waking Masako up with a start. Confused by the noise, she would probably start sobbing quietly, and John would have to work quickly to calm her down. Amidst the hubbub, Mai would sit in silent misery while Naru fought a headache. With a sigh, in his sleepy state his arm snaked out on its own accord and looped under Mai's neck and around her shoulders.

He would normally scold himself and Mai for such a brash move, but he was tired, and after everything he didn't need another scene. _I'm doing this for the team, _he thought to himself, but as he pulled the girl closer he had to wonder. She gasped slightly, her breath wobbling and shaky, before relaxing. Her hands moved up his chest and loosely gripped his shirt. Once she felt the warmth of his body, she calmed down, as Naru predicted. Luckily, she slipped into a deeper sleep, looking fairly content with the situation. As Naru watched her, he himself also started slipping off.

He managed one last look at his sleeping employees_, _and smirked at what he saw. Monk had slung an arm over Ayako's waist, and was holding her fairly tight. She had a disgruntled expression on her face, and was deciding whether she should wake him and yell at him or not.

"You owe me when you wake up," she whispered crossly before finally relaxing and falling asleep, cradled against the happily snoring Monk. Naru's gaze fell onto the priest and medium next to him. He had to rise slightly to see what Masako was doing behind John's frame.

The medium was on her side, breathing deeply. One of her arms was slightly bent, and her small hand rested on top of John's, who was in a similar position. Neither looked uncomfortable or unhappy with their pose. In fact, they looked the opposite. Naru finally tore his gaze off of his friends as he started slipping off. In his drugged, sleepy state, he loosely wrapped his remaining arm over Mai's waist. Studying her peaceful expression as she slumbered, he finally relaxed fully and fell all the way asleep. _At least I can trust Mai._

Lin emerged back in the base silently, and had to refrain from laughing outright at the situation. All of his co-workers, including his boss were sleeping rather comfortably with a friend. On the far right, Monk was snuggling with Ayako, like she was some precious teddy-bear. Ayako didn't look all that concerned with their position, leaving Lin to wonder if she actually didn't mind being hugged by Monk.

He turned to look at John and Masako, and smiled gently. Masako was facing Ayako and Monk, while John lay on his back, sprawled out on the futon. Even though they were slightly spread apart, their hands still managed to meet in the center. But the most surprising image was probably the one on the far left.

Naru slept with Mai cradled against his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist, his other arm resting loosely above her head. Her head was buried in his shirt, her hand gripping onto the black fabric. It was highly amusing to see their stony boss finally relax, even if neither of them knew what was going on.

With a soft sigh, he crept over to the couch. Grabbing a left over blanket, he draped it over himself and started dozing off. He smiled to himself when he saw Mai stir, and Naru's arm tighten around her. This case was turning out rather interesting indeed.

Naru was the first to wake up, and judging by the sunlight that streamed through the window he estimated he slept rather late. A bird chirped loudly, causing someone to stir in his arms. Resisting the urge to jump up and prepare a fighting stance, he glanced down. The movement of his head caused something warm and soft that was previously tangled in his hair to release its hold. His breathing quickened as Mai's hand gently trailed down his neck and returned to gently gripping his shirt. He frowned when he noticed his arm was still draped over her waist, this time much tighter.

_What happened last night? Did she take advantage of me? _He thought as he gazed down at her placid expression. Her hair was slightly messy, and framed her pale face loosely. Even asleep, she still looked innocent and cute. _Ah, stop it. You don't want Gene to hear about this and make fun of you for all eternity. _He scolded himself. Mai let out a soft sigh and buried her face into his neck. He flinched slightly at the contact, but relaxed when an idea came to mind. He could torment her about this.

He knew he had to wake her up since a glance at his other assistant proved this theory. The Chinese man was fast asleep, drooling slightly. He looked exhausted, and even someone like Naru knew when not to push someone, especially someone as intimidating as Lin. The only other person capable of handling the equipment was Mai.

He bent his head slightly so his mouth was hovering over her own. He let out a long, slow breath, waiting for her to stir. He was a little surprised he was doing this, but he never passed up an opportunity to make someone's day a little less bright. She scrunched up her nose and shifted her head so it was resting in the crook of his neck. He sighed and moved so his lips were right over her ear.

"Mai," he whispered. She flinched slightly before shuddering, her hands releasing and tightening her grip on his shirt. It would probably be wrinkled today.

"Mai," he tried again. Finally her eyes slowly slid part way open. She blinked, slightly confused.

"Where am I?" she murmured, drawing back slightly. When she saw Naru's icy blue eyes right in front of her, she froze entirely. It was only then she realized their rather _intimate _position. A bright blush found its way onto her cheeks as she hastily released her death grip on Naru's shirt. She was about to say something when Naru launched into the next part of his plan.

He slowly drew his arm back over her waist, letting his hand trail loosely over her shirt. Mai's train of thought was momentarily halted at the touch. Naru smirked. Perfect, she was doing exactly what he wanted.

"Would you mind getting up and quietly telling me what you thought you were doing last night?" he muttered softly. Mai's blush disappeared, replaced by a startled expression. He was right, how exactly did they manage this?

"Did the others see?" she asked nervously. Naru peered over her shoulder, and she carefully craned her neck to see behind her. Monk and Ayako were sleeping peacefully in a pose similar to Mai and Naru's. Masako and John were full out holding hands, still in their relaxed position, except John slightly resembled a starfish now. Lin was sleeping, splayed out on the couch, his arm and leg draped over the side. His mouth was slightly open, and he snored, quite loudly in fact. Mai was surprised he hadn't woken anybody up.

"They're all asleep." Mai frowned up at Naru.

"I see that." He smirked slightly, slowly disentangled his legs and other arm as Mai lay very still, slightly confused. If he knew they were like practically cuddling, why hadn't he jumped up and scolded her before demanding tea? Had he actually… liked it? Mai blushed at that thought, but stopped when he extended a hand to her. She quietly scrambled to her feet, and the two snuck over to the monitors.

"You know, they all look rather peaceful," Mai remarked, gazing at her friends. She was a little startled to see John and Masako, but she supposed it was bound to happen. They were so alike, with their quiet, kind nature, although Masako had an odd way of showing it.

Naru simply shrugged and softly tapped something into his lap top. Several files popped up, and he clicked on one. They were the recordings from last night, taken during their slumber. As he pressed play, he turned his cool gaze on Mai, who was still watching her friends with a gentle smile on her face.

"You know, since you obviously took advantage of me last night, I may have to take advantage of you," Naru pointed out. Mai's head snapped around, a slightly scared expression on her face. Naru was ready to start the final steps of his plan. He could use his interesting encounter to his advantage. If Mai was sufficiently scared of what he would say, she would do anything he asked without complaint.

"I didn't know I was doing it, I swear," she said solemnly.

"Right, I'm sure." Mai blushed furiously, as Naru watched; a small sparkled in his eyes.

"Fine, what do you want me to do," she finally relented, sighing heavily.

"Would you go out and get a tray of tea for everyone?" Mai quickly turned and went to scurry out while Naru turned back to his tapes.

"Naru?" she asked quietly. Naru tilted his head in her direction, showing he was listening.

"Thanks for comforting me last night, I know it was you." He suppressed his small smile, keeping an indifferent expression on his face. His only response was a soft grunt, and Mai smiled.

"Oh, and one more thing." Mai hesitated before speaking again. "We still can't leave base."

Naru cursed internally.


End file.
